From the Atoll of Rangiroa, Stalled in Time but With

TAHITI TAHITIAN BLUES From the atoll of Rangiroa, stalled in time but with some of the best diving on the planet, to the supreme beauty of Bora Bora, French Polynesia is a perfect fit for romance WORDS Helen Hayes If love is a many splendored thing, Tahiti is Romeo and Juliet, Scarlett and While the plunge pool is lovely, it is the lagoon that is the star, and we Rhett and every Mills and Boon novel all wrapped in one, big, beautiful, snorkel in it, laze in it, enjoy sunset drinks in the Miki Miki Bar (which sits azure package. over it) and generally stare at it as if our brains can’t quite compute what It is love at first sight when we fly in to Rangiroa, an atoll circling the they are seeing. The resort has a dive operator on site and it is diving second-largest lagoon in the world. Rangi, as the locals call it, is in the that Rangiroa is best known for. In fact, the Tiputa Pass is often named as Tuamotu Islands in French Polynesia, and while it is just a short flight one of the top dive sites in the world, with divers and snorkellers carried from Papeete, it feels like we have somehow gone back in time on the through the Pass in the tidal surge between the ocean and lagoon. The Tardis or on a Polynesian version of the DeLorean. amount of sea life you’ll encounter is phenomenal. We snorkel at what locals call the Aquarium – a reef not far from the lagoon-end of the Pass The island is actually 240 tiny motus (islets) circling the massive lagoon – and feel like Dory from Finding Nemo, trying to remember the countless like an exquisite pearl necklace and separated by passes or smaller colours and shapes of the fish we see. passages, call hoas, which allow the water from the lagoon to ebb in and out. Only two of the islets are inhabited: the airport and the town Other popular dive spots and tours include the magical Blue Lagoon of Avatoru are on one, while the hamlet of Tiputa is on the next island (a lagoon within the lagoon) and Les Sables Roses (the Pink Sands), but across – which is only accessible by boat. we choose to hire a scooter and potter around this beautiful place. Heading off down the potholed strip of road, we’re never far from We are staying at the only five-star resort on the island, the Hotel Kia that mesmerising aqua of the lagoon or the darker blue of the ocean, Ora Resort & Spa. It’s like something out of a postcard, with beautifully and stop and swim whenever we feel like it. Several of the local shops designed villas sitting over the turquoise water and tucked under palm also prove tempting, and as well as beautiful hand painted pareos (like trees on the land. We are in a pool villa and love its huge outdoor sarongs) at Rangiroa Arts, we can’t resist a beautiful Tahitian pearl at space with sheltered lounges, plunge pool and private outdoor bathtub Ikamasho, which has a lovely selection of jewellery, including these snuggled away in a corner. lustrous black gems. One of the largest black pearl farms in French Polynesia, Gauguin’s Pearl, is here on Rangiroa and offers tours showing just how these gorgeous black beauties are produced. TAHITI Clockwise from We scoot past local pensiones – the main form of But it’s not from the sides that the sharks come; it’s from the top: couple accommodation offered here – and stop off for lunch at Snack sea floor where two much-larger lemon sharks skulk upwards. relaxing on la Roulotte, a tiny lagoon-side café with a white pebble floor I practically climb onto my husband’s back (or is it the other boardwalk at Kia and tasty fish burgers. In Avatoru, we admire a church made way around?) and we both leave fingernail marks on the boat Ora Resort; Kia Ora Resort from above; from coral and go bush to see the best surf break on the island, to which we are clinging. The sharks move ever so slowly, and Tahiti Islands from where only the fearless tackle the waves that break onto a the leader’s jutted jaw and steely eyes are looking straight at us the sky; reef sharks shallow, razor-sharp reef. We ride back to the other end of the as they move in. It’s about now that we discover that you can and Tahiti marine island, waving at the locals walking by or tourists on pushbikes, scream and swear while wearing a snorkel. The lemon sharks life; sailboat on and find ourselves at Chez Lili, a lively lunch spot right on the drop down and scrape their backs under our fins – it appears the crystal waters water at the small quay. The food is fabulous and Lili tells us that they just wanted a tickle – then slowly swim back to the bottom. of Tahiti afterwards, we must head back out on the scooters in order to More relaxed now, we notice all the fish swimming about – see the dolphins in Tiputa Pass. She recommends a particular angel fish, rainbow fish, parrot fish, garfish, clown fish, butterfly spot: Pensione de la Josephine Relais. We go in and are amazed fish, damselfish and a host of others we can’t recognise. We to see a timber deck – no railing – so close to the Pass that you laugh when we realise we have almost forgotten that there are can feel the spray. We settle into the chairs with a local Hinano sharks everywhere around us. Henri jokes that the blacktips beer, and watch the dolphins dance in the tide as the sun begins haven’t done any damage to his passengers yet. its nightly journey below the horizon. All we needed were violins, but we had the sounds of Rangiroa to accompany us, the We board the Terehau and enter the distinctive and well-marked lilting French accent of the waitress taking our order, the swish channel to get into the lagoon from the ocean – it’s exactly like a of palm trees in the breeze and the rhythmic pulse of the waves freeway off-ramp, but instead of accessing a suburb, it takes you on the rocks below. to waters of such vibrant colours your eyes almost hurt. It’s not just turquoise, but a rainbow of blues – almost as if Pro Hart has SAIL AWAY TO BORA BORA swiped his paintbrush, dipped in multiple different shades, across a Could it be any more romantic? Sitting on the deck of a luxury giant canvas. We stop again and bound into the dinghy like eager catamaran with wine (and husband) in hand, sun shining, puppies going out for a walk. Henri announces that we are going watching the green, dinosaur spine-peaks of Bora Bora rising out to be swimming with stingrays and nonchalantly points out a of a lagoon that looks like it’s been injected with a blue food dye couple of large grey shapes just up ahead. We cautiously stand on you might only see on MasterChef. the soft sandy seabed and the stingrays come ghosting in, brushing We are on the Terehau, a 60ft luxury catamaran that we velvety wings against our legs. Henri is popular amongst the rays, boarded in Raiatea for a four-day cruise that centres on Bora his hand softly running along their skin and his fingers almost Bora. There are two other couples on board, as well as the touching their tiny mouths. We become braver, and grin stupidly at skipper, Henri, and his partner Mihi, who is the hostess and cook. each other as we pat and touch these incredibly elegant creatures. The first night is spent anchored off the Tau Tau motu near the Some settle near our feet and we are careful not to tread on island of Taha’a, the peaks of Bora Bora looking more like clouds them. We say “wow” countless times, rendered almost speechless on the horizon. We swim, snorkel and become attuned to our by this special experience. floating hotel, raising a glass to the sunset and drinking in the No one is speechless later, as we recount our shark and stingray fragrances of French Polynesia: vanilla, frangipani and tiare, a type tales around the table over a beautiful dinner and good French of gardenia that is the national flower of these islands. wine. The food is excellent on board, and we can raid the biccy We wake to find the yacht is underway and after a lovely tin when we need sustenance after yet another refreshing dip breakfast around the undercover dining table on the back deck, or snorkelling session. We see eagle rays speeding through the plant ourselves on the bow – a front row seat to some of the water like Star Wars fighters, huge black mantas and more reef most spectacular scenery imaginable. We sail past Taha’a, church sharks and fish. spires rising up from the tree canopy and houses spreading One afternoon is spent on a perfect beach, with a lovely lunch out along the shoreline. Bora Bora takes shape and looms ever served under a palm frond canopy. Afterwards, we doze off in a closer, and the rugged shapes of its peaks reveal themselves like deckchair, our vista including the misty peaks of Mount Pahia and a flirtatious vixen. Mounta Otemanu (the highest point on Bora Bora), the blue Henri drops anchor outside the fringing reef, and tells us all to get lagoon and, in the foreground, our beautiful on-water chariot, ready for a snorkelling adventure.

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